1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector apparatus having a fit-on detection mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known connector apparatus for supplying electric power to apparatuses in an electric car has an equipment-side connector and a harness-side connector to be fit together. The equipment-side connector has a fit-on concavity that defines a male housing formed integrally with an outer surface of a junction box (J/B) and a male terminal in the form of a bus bar projects from the inner surface of the fit-on concavity. The J/B is accommodated in a metal case. The fit-on concavity of the male housing has an open surface disposed at the back side of an opening in the case. The harness-side connector has a female housing and a female terminal connected to an end of an electric wire is accommodated in the female housing. The harness-side connector is fit on the equipment-side connector through the opening of the case to connect corresponding female and male terminal fittings together. A shielding shell is mounted to cover the male housing and is fixed to the case by tightening a bolt.
The harness-side connector of the above-described connector apparatus may be removed from the equipment-side connector for maintenance. As a result, the male terminal of the equipment-side connector is exposed outside through the opening of the case. The equipment-side connector has the power supply electric circuit and an operator who carelessly touches the male terminal may be subjected to an electric shock. Therefore, fit-on detection mechanisms are provided between the connectors for detecting the fit-on and separation of the connectors and for performing an interlocking function for cutting-off of the power supply electric circuit in dependence on detection of the fit-on and the separation between the connectors. A connector apparatus having this kind of the interlocking function is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,355.
The conventional fit-on detection mechanism for the above-described interlocking function includes two tab shaped fit-on detection terminals disposed alongside the equipment-side connector and a short harness associated with the harness-side connector. The short harness has female terminals connected to both ends of an electric wire curved like a hair pin. The tab shaped fit-on detection terminals are fit with the female terminals of the short harness when both connectors are fit together so that the power supply electric circuit has a conductive state. The tab shaped fit-on detection terminals separate from the corresponding female terminals of the short harness when the connectors are separated from each other to cut off the power supply electric circuit.
The J/B where the equipment-side connector has been mounted is accommodated inside the case and is fixed to the case with a bolt or the like. Tolerance in relation to the mounting of the J/B on the case may cause a variation between the dimension of the opening of the case and that of the open plane of the fit-on concavity of the male connector. Thus, the fit-on depth of the female housing of the harness-side connector may vary with respect to the fit-on concavity of the male housing of the equipment-side connector. The power supply female and male terminals on both connectors are comparatively large. Thus, the connection state is secured, even though there is a variation in the fit-on depth within the tolerance.
On the other hand, the fit-on detection terminal fitting is small, and the tab shaped fit-on detection terminals normally cannot be connected with the mating female terminals when the fit-on depth is small within the tolerance. As a result, the power supply electric circuit remains cut off. The length of the tab-shaped fit-on detection terminals could be set large to prevent such a situation from occurring. However, when the fit-on depth is large within the tolerance, the front ends of the tabs pass through the connection portions of the female terminals and strike against an exposed portion of the core wire crimped to the barrel disposed rearward from the connection portions of the female terminals. Therefore it is difficult to deal with this problem.
The present invention has been completed based on the above-described situation and has for its object to securely detect fit-on between an equipment-side connector and a harness-side connector irrespective of the degree of a tolerance in mounting the equipment-side connector on a case.